Handgun grip construction

ABSTRACT

A grip construction for a handgun, such as a revolver, includes a solid one-piece grip of wood or the like which completely surrounds a frame stud by means of which it is secured to the frame. The grip is therefore uninfluenced in its own shape and size by the shape of the frame so that its configuration is very flexible and can be varied to fit any type of hand or esthetic desire.

Umted States Patent [151 3,683,535 Lewis [45] Aug. 15, 1972 [54] HANDGUN GRIP CONSTRUCTION 2,187,640 1/1940 Bost ..42/75.3 72 Inventor: Karl R. Lewis, 77 Olney Road, 2,292,351 8/ 1942 Carpenter CI 8.1 ..42/71 w th fi ld Com 06109 2,832,266 4/1958 Sunderland ..42 71 P Filed: Aug. 15, 1969 3,367,053 2/1968 Lewis ..42/59 [2]] App], No.1 850,369 Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-C. T. Jordan 52 us. Cl ..42/71 P Paulding and Huber [51] Int. Cl. ..F41C 23/00 58 Field of Search ..42/71 P, 71, 72, 75.3 c, 59, [571 ABSTRACT 42/65 A grip construction for a handgun, such as a revolver, includes a solid one-piece grip of wood or the like [56] Reierences Clted which completely surrounds a frame stud by means of P which it is secured to the frame. The iS therefore uninfluenced in its own shape and size by the shape of 2,744,448 5/1956 Allen ..42/7l P the frame so that its fi ti is very fl ibl and 1 Johnson can be varied to any type of or esthetic desire 3,367,053 2/1968 Lewis ..42/59 2,034,632 3/1936 Rice ..42/7l P 3 Clains, 4 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 15, 1972 3,683,535

INVENTOR. W KARL R. LEWIS ATTORNEYS HANDGUN GRIP CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to handguns and deals more particularly with a grip construction therefor.

In the past, most handgun grips have been of the type wherein the frame of the gun extends downwardly to form the major portion of the grip and has two side pieces or plates of wood, plastic or other material attached to opposite sides thereof to round out the grip and give it a better feel to the user's hand. In this case, the frame dictates almost entirely the shape of the grip and the side pieces or plates must be accurately made to blend with the grip portion of the frame and cannot vary much in size or style. Some other types of grip constructions have been proposed and used, but in each case, some portion of the frame adjacent the grip has generally been left exposed so as to require some accurate and time consuming work in blending the grip to the frame, and also limiting the flexibility of the grip design and shape.

The general object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a grip construction wherein the grip and frame are joined in such a manner as to require little or no work in blending the grip to the frame and wherein the frame is non-exposed throughout the major portion of the grip so as to have no limiting influence on its size or shape, thereby permitting it to be varied to suit any desire of the user. A further object of the invention is to provide a grip construction which utilizes a hidden stud for attaching the grip to the frame and which stud also conveniently houses the hammer spring for the firing mechanism so as to serve a dual purpose.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a grip construction for a handgun wherein the grip has a substantially square or rectangular hole which receives a close fitting generally square stud portion of the frame, the shape of the stud being one which allows it and the remainder of the frame to be made by a powdered or sintered metal process thereby eliminating expensive machine operations for the making thereof.

Still another object is to provide a handgun with an economical grip means that can be changed from one size and style grip to another, quickly and easily, including changing the cam of the handgun thereby regulating the elevation of the barrel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention resides in a grip construction for a handgun, such as a pistol or revolver, and includes a frame having two parallel side faces at the rear end thereof and a generally downwardly and rearwardly facing shoulder extending perpendicularly to said side faces and at which said side faces terminate. An attachment stud extends generally downwardly and rearwardly from said shoulder generally parallel to the side faces and is received in a correspondingly shaped opening of a one-piece grip made of wood or the like. A screw extends through the free end of the grip and is threaded into the stud to secure the grip to the frame. The stud is additionally hollow and receives a helical spring for biasing the handgun hammer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the rear end of a firearm having a grip construction embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the portion of the firearm shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS I Turning to the drawings, the figures thereof show fragrnentarily the rear portion of a handgun, indicated generally at 10 which may, for example, be considered to be of the revolver type. The revolver 10 includes a frame 12, the rear portion of which is shown in the figures. The frame 12, at its rear portion, includes two flat parallel side faces 14, 14 which terminate in a generally downwardly and rearwardly facing shoulder 16 extending generally perpendicular thereto. Beyond the shoulder 16 the frame further includes a stud 18 which extends generally downwardly and rearwardly parallel to the side faces 14, 14. The stud 18 may take various different sizes and shapes but in the present instance is shown to be of a generally square cross-section and as having a thickness slightly less than the spacing between the side faces 14, 14.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the frame 12 also includes a mechanism cavity 20, which in the rear portion thereof, receives a hammer 22 supported relative to the frame by a pivot pin 24 for movement between a firing position and a cocked position, FIGS. 1 and 3 showing the hammer in its cocked position and the hammer being rotatable in the clockwise direction from the illustrated cocked position to the firing position. For biasing the hammer 22, the stud 18 includes a first opening 24, extending partially therethrough and communicating with the mechanism cavity 20, which opening receives a helical compression spring 26. At its inner end the opening 24 is terminated by a seat 25 against which the inner end of the spring 26 bears. Cooperating with the spring 26 is a spring guide 28 having a shank portion 30 received in the central opening of the spring 26 and having another strut portion 32 extending beyond the free end of the spring and engaging the hammer 22 to bias it toward its firing position, the free end of the strut 32 being received in a pocket or notch in the rear of the hammer.

A grip 34 is received on the frame 12 and is the part which is normally grasped by the hand of the user during use. The grip 34 may be made of wood, plastic or other suitable material and is of an entirely one-piece or monolithic construction. At its upper end, the grip 34 includes two spaced side pieces 36, 36 having flat parallel inwardly facing surfaces 38, 38 which snugly engage the side faces 14, 14 of the frame, the side pieces 36, 36 overlapping the side faces 14, 14 to some extent and being shaped at their edges so as to blend pleasingly with the frame. The side pieces 36, 36 terminate in a generally upwardly facing shoulder 40 which is located between the pieces 36, 36. This grip shoulder 40 engages the frame shoulder 16 to limit the upward movement of the grip relative to the frame and to provide a seat between the frame and the grip aiding in preventing relative movement therebetween. Communicating with the grip shoulder 40, the grip 34 includes an enlarged opening 42 which conforms to and snugly receives the frame stud 18. Between the free or bottom end of the grip 34 and its opening 42 is a smaller opening 44 through which is passed a fastener in the form of a screw 46. In its lower end portion the stud 18 includes a threaded second opening 43, aligned with and of a smaller diameter than the first opening 24, which extends from the inner end of the first opening 24 through the remainder of the length of the stud to the lower or free end of the latter. The inner end of the screw 46 is threadably engaged with the stud opening 43 and at the outer end of the screw is a head 48, the grip opening 44 being counterbored as at 50 to provide a seat 52 for engaging the screw head 48. it will, therefore, be obvious that when the screw 46 is tightened by threading it into the stud 18 the screw head 48 will urge the grip upwardly into tight engagement with the frame shoulder 16 to thereby secure it to the frame.

The illustrated square cross-sectional shape of the stud 18 and its corresponding opening 42 aids in resisting rotational movement of the grip about the axis of the stud. This same rotational movement is, however, also resisted by the engagement between the two side pieces 36, 36 of the grip and the side faces 14, 14 of the frame and, therefore, if desired, the stud 18 and its corresponding grip opening 42 may also be made of a circular shape. When the stud is of a square cross-sectional shape or other non-circular cross-sectional shape, the frame is preferably made of powdered metal as the use of powdered metal technology permits the desired non-circular shape to be easily produced without machining.

It should also be noted from the drawings and from the description above that in the illustrated grip construction only blending of the grip to the frame is that which occurs in and about the grip side pieces 36, 36. Beyond the side pieces 36, 36 the grip is entirely uninfluenced by the shape of the frame since the frame stud 18 is completely hidden and surrounded by the grip material. Accordingly, beyond the side pieces 36, 36 no blending of the grip to the frame is required and the grip shape and size may be varied at will to fit it to the user's hand or to create any esthetic or functional design or shape which the user desires, the grip configuration shown in the drawings being only one of an infinite number of varieties possible.

I claim:

1. ln a handgun the combination comprising a frame having a rear portion with two generally parallel side faces, a shoulder extending generally perpendicular to said side faces, and a stud extending beyond said shoulder in a direction generally parallel to said side faces; a one piece grip, said grip having two spaced side pieces which respectively overlie said two generally parallel side faces, a shoulder between said side pieces which engages said shoulder of said frame, and an opening communicating with said grip shoulder which snugly conforms in size to and receives said stud, said frame including a mechanism cavity; a hammer reg: ived in sai mechanism cavit means su rtin sai; hammer for movement rela five to sai fram between a cocked and a firing position, said stud having a first opening extending therethrough for less than the full length of said stud, said first opening at one end thereof communicating with said mechanism cavity and at the other end thereof terminating in a seat, said stud also having a threaded second opening communicating with the free end of said stud; means including a spring received in said first stud opening and at one end bearing against said seat for biasing said hammer toward its said firing position; and a fastener passing through the free end portion of said grip and threaded into said second stud opening for securing said grip to said frame.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 further characterized by said spring being a helical compression spring, and said means for biasing said hammer in addition to said spring including a spring guide having a shank received in the center opening of said spring and passing therethrough for less than the full length of said spring and another portion extending beyond said shank and the associated free end of said spring into engagement with said hammer.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 further characterized by said second stud opening being aligned and communicating with said first stud openmg.

a 1k k 

1. In a handgun the combination comprising a frame having a rear portion with two generally parallel side faces, a shoulder extending generally perpendicular to said side faces, and a stud extending beyond said shoulder in a direction generally parallel to said side faces; a one piece grip, said grip having two spaced side pieces which respectively overlie said two generally parallel side faces, a shoulder between said side pieces which engages said shoulder of said frame, and an opening communicating with said grip shoulder which snugly conforms in size to and receives said stud, said frame including a mechanism cavity; a hammer received in said mechanism cavity; means supporting said hammer for movement relative to said frame between a cocked and a firing position, said stud having a first opening extending therethrough for less than the full length of said stud, said first opening at one end thereof communicating with said mechanism cavity and at the other end thereof terminating in a seat, said stud also having a threaded second opening communicating with the free end of said stud; means including a spring received in said first stud opening and at one end bearing against said seat for biasing said hammer toward its said firing position; and a fastener passing through the free end portion of said grip and threaded into said second stud opening for securing said grip to said frame.
 2. The combination defined in claim l further characterized by said spring being a helical compression spring, and said means for biasing said hammer in addition to said spring including a spring guide having a shank received in the center opening of said spring and passing therethrough for less than the full length of said spring and another portion extending beyond said shank and the associated free end of said spring into engagement with said hammer.
 3. The combination defined in claim 1 further characterized by said second stud opening being aligned and communicating with said first stud opening. 